The present invention relates generally to medical stimulators and more specifically to implantable cardioverters and defibrillators.
When implanting an implantable defibrillator, it is desirable to test the device's operability to ensure that it is capable of reliably defibrillating the heart. In order to accomplish this, it is necessary to first induce fibrillation in the patient's heart, and then determine whether the implantable defibrillator is capable of terminating the induced fibrillation. Typically, a 60 cycle type fibrillator has been used in inducing fibrillation.
The inventors of the present application have determined that it would be desirable to incorporate the fibrillation induction function into an implantable defibrillator, to allow for a more fully automated testing regimen and to simplify the implantation procedure. However, incorporation of a 60 cycle defibrillator into an implantable device poses substantial technical difficulties. In any case, 60 cycle fibrillators frequently fail to induce fibrillation.